@hawkeye10,
While I agree that pets can be very therapeutic I also agree that their presence everywhere has gotten out of hand. Businesses have quit asking for any documentation and the problem is escalating.
I had a friend who got one of those "comfort animal" designations for her completely untrained, large, dog and it was a nightmare to go anywhere with her. The dog was a nuisance to to anyone who came close. I'm seeing more and more like that.
Properly trained assistance animals are one things, this is completely different. Training and some kind of visually observable certification should be required.
For years my city was known for being very dog friendly. That's changing. People are getting tired of dogs being everywhere.
Maybe it's a west coast thing but I definitely think it's a problem.